The Pig that says MOO

In Thailand, staple dishes in restaurant menus often offer the possibility of adding chicken, pork, beef or seafood – this tends to happen with foods like stir-fried noodles, for example. If you want to eat some of those preparations in street stalls and smaller businesses, chances are there are no printed menus or they are in Thai. That’s why learning some basic ingredients in Thai can really be helpful and, eventually, avoid situations like having a Muslim eating pork or a Hindu tasting beef.

One of the most common meats available across Thailand is pork. And although one might think that moo actually sounds like beef, it is not – it is the sound of the Thai word for pork (or pig like the lady serving us pork rice the other night was referring to it as). So, don’t be confused when someone offers you food with moo in Thailand, as this has nothing to do with cows!

Here are a few more words that might come in handy as you eat your way across Thailand:

Moo – Pork
Gai – Chicken
Kai – Egg
Neua – Beef
Plah – Fish
Poo – Crab (Food with poo never tasted this good!)

If you eat meat or fish, welcome to foodie paradise.

But if you’re vegetarian, well… good luck in Thailand!